Breaking Ground on the National Mall

Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture broke ground on the National Mall in DC, slated to open in 2015. Shaped in part by the findings of an 18-month study to identify the various needs of the museum – from exhibition space, operations and technology, to acoustics, fire protection and security – the design is expected to take up to three years with construction to begin in 2012. The museum is scheduled to open in 2015 at an estimated cost of $500 million with 50 per cent of the total to be covered by Congress.